(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
The New Orleans Pelicans were decimated by the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, experiencing a painful 133-89 loss in the In-Season Tournament.
That was the third-most lopsided regular-season loss in New Orleans’ franchise history and it hit the brakes on the recent surge the Pelicans had.
Following the game, NBA writer Tony Jones laid into the weak work of Pelicans star Zion Williamson.
“Every time I watch the Pelicans I’m shocked at how bad a defender Zion is. It’s legitimately shocking,” Jones said on Twitter.
Every time I watch the Pelicans I’m shocked at how bad a defender Zion is. It’s legitimately shocking
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) December 8, 2023
Many people agree with Jones’ statement, including Williamson himself.
After Thursday night’s rout, Williamson admitted that he and his team lacked a competitive spirit.
He certainly wasn’t looking like someone who wanted to proceed to the In-Season Tournament Championship.
Williamson, who has a season average of 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, scored just 13 points and a weak 2 rebounds and 3 assists on Thursday.
When his team needed him most, Williamson didn’t deliver.
Williamson told ESPN that he knows some things need to change moving forward, saying: “I got to be more aggressive, finding my shot. I got to do more things to get my team going. I think I was too laid-back tonight, and I just can’t do that. And defensively I got to be better.”
Before Thursday night, the Pelicans were trending in the right direction and had won six of their last nine games.
But the massive disappointment from this loss has complicated things and exposed some serious weaknesses in the team.
Williamson hasn’t played in an NBA postseason game yet so the In-Season Tournament gave him his first chance to experience the atmosphere of a playoff game.
Sadly, now he and his team have to go back home and watch the rest of the tournament from afar.
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